Article dispenser with plastic twisting mechanism



Sept. 13, 1966 J. BUSCH 3,272,327

ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH PLASTIC TWISTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 2, 1964 2 SheetsSheet 1 fj i INVENTOR.

JOHN BUSCH BY MM A41;

ATTORNEYS Sept. 13, 1966 J. BUSCH 3,272,327

ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH PLASTIC TWISTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 1-2 17 ;Q 3 ay /7 1. i 0 2 8 g5 E9 A? \MIB 2 A 7 B ;f ;/9b

INVENTOR.

BY JOHN BUSCH 2% NJ L4 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 5 Claims. 61. 206-56) This invention relates to an article dispenser and more particularly to a casing intended for holding and dispensing cosmetic sticks, particularly lipsticks, and having a twisting mechanism in which a holder for the cosmetic element is guided in a longitudinally slotted tube afiixed to a base and engages in the threaded track of a sleeve which is rotatable with respect to the slotted tube, the engagement being effected by means of guide pins which extend through the corresponding slots in the tube.

Lipstick casings of this kind were originally made entirely of metal. In this case the threaded sleeve had the form of a thin-walled winder preferably stamped from steel sheet and bent round the slotted tube, the thread for the track for the guide pin of the cosmetic holder either being stamped out as a slot, or formed by the separating joint created between the terminal edges of the sheet when bent. This winder was surrounded by an external tubular member and created a resilient fitting between the slotted tube and the outer tube, thus ensuring a stiff but gently uniform up and down movement of the cosmetic holder.

With metallic lipstick casings, the defect was observed that after fairly lengthy storage periods, the lipstick composition frequently reacted chemically with metal from the casing or its parts and acquired undesirable discolorations. In order to obviate this effect, it was proposed that the cosmetic holder and the slotted tube, being those parts coming directly into contact with the lipstick composition, should be made of a stable plastic material. This gave rise to the further defect however, that the guide pin of the cosmetic holder was subjected to extremely severe wear, because the thread in the steel winder was too rough or too sharp edged. In mass production of the winders, it was impossible to prevent sharp edges or burrs from developing in the threaded track.

Some improvement was attained by changing over to plastic material for the threaded sleeve also. In doing this, it was not possible to retain the previous form of the stamped and bent steel winder. Indeed, this resulted in the development of a tubular threaded sleeve extruded from plastics and having a flat internal thread for guiding the pin of the cosmetic holder. The threaded sleeve is usually covered by a thin metallic tube so that the finished lipstick casing gives the impression of a metallic character externally.

Such plastic twisting mechanisms have many advantages but they have the defect that the cosmetic holder moves with too easy an action and slides back into its lower terminal position inside the slotted tube, even under very slight axial forces such as usually occur when the lipstick is in use. Thus with conventional plastic twisting mechanisms it is not possible to obtain the stiff but gently uniform action of the metallic twisting mechanisms which is brought about by the resilient effect of the winder and obviates the undesirable slip-back of the cosmetic holder.

An attempt has been made to attain a stiffer action for the cosmetic holder by narrowing the clearances between the individual components. Apart from the fact that the resilient action of the old steel winder could never be achieved by such tighter clearances, this attempt still did not attain the goal desired, because of the mutually sliding parts of the twisting mechanisms (which for economic reasons are not of really high grade plastic materials) exice hibit an easy tendency to seize up. This can be counteracted to some degree by lubrication, but even lubrication is not an effective remedy. It merely promotes the deposisition of particles of dirt inside the twisting mechanism and furthermore, particularly after the lipstick has been in lengthy use, it does not eliminate the jerky action of the cosmetics holder resulting from tighter clearances.

The frequently adopted expedient of arresting the cosmetic holder in its two extreme positions inside the slotted tube by disengaging the ends of the threaded track arranged in the sleeve and/ or by a bayonet-like right angled bend at the ends of the guide slot in the tube does not overcome the drawbacks of the excessively easy action of the cosmetic holder because, during use, the lipstick is normally not fully twisted out of the casing, at any rate not until it is almost completely used up.

To overcome the above stated difiiculties and defects, the invention provides a twisting mechanism of plastic material, which ensures a stiff but gently uniform action of the cosmetic holder even after the lipstick has been in use over a lengthy period. According to the present invention there is provided in a lipstick casing having a twisting mechanism made of plastic material of the type including a cosmetic holder guided in a slotted tube connected with a base and engaged in the threaded track of a threaded sleeve rotatable with respect to the slotted tube, the engagement being effected by means of guide pins extending through the corresponding slots in the slotted tube and the threaded sleeve being possibly covered by an outer metallic tube, the improvement wherein a soft or elastic intermediate support is arranged between the slotted tube and the threaded sleeve, the said support covering only a fraction of the entire contact surfaces of the tube and sleeve. Appropriately this intermediate support consists of a soft elastic plastic material and is in the shape of a narrow ring placed around the slotted tube. The added ring resiliently and gently opposes relative rotating of the slotted tube and threaded sleeve and provides sufficient friction to prevent the lipstick holder from dropping in the slotted tube under pressure of normal use.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lipstick casing according to the invention and showing the lipstick holder in elevation;

FIG. 2 is a detail view from FIG. 1 drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a detail view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification; and

FIG. 4 is a detail view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but showing further modification.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in the embodiment of the lipstick casing illustrated in FIG. 1, the cuplike holder 1 for the cos-metic element slides inside a slotted tube 2 when outer member 8 is turned by reason of two guide pins 3 and 3 projecting from the holder through corresponding longitudinal guide slots 4 and 4 in tube 2. The guide pins 3 and 3 engage in two threaded tracks 5 and 5' located at the inside of a threaded sleeve 6 which is placed around the outside of the slotted tube 2. The thin, metallic outer tube 8 is preferably thinwalled and shrunk, force fit or otherwise firmly secured to the outside of the threaded sleeve 6 so as to rotate therewith. All components 1 to 6, as well as a base 7,

which is fixedly connected with the slotted tube 2, may be formed of a hard plastic material, as for example, polystyrene. These plastic parts can be produced in the desired shapes by extrusion, squeezing, injection die-casting or any other suitable molding process. In order to arrest the cosmetic holder in its terminal positions, the guide slots 4 and 4' may be bent at right angles at their ends and/or the threaded tracks 5 and 5 may be disengaged at their ends. These possible features are not illustrated in further detail in the drawing as they are conventional. If desired, parts 1-7 may be formed of metal but the improvement to be described is more useful in a plastic dispenser.

As will be seen more clearly from FIG. 2, a narrow ring 9 of a soft elastic plastic material, such as polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, or' the like, is placed around the slotted tube 2, preferably close above the base 7, and in such a way that it lies tightly between the outer wall of the slotted tube 2 and the inner wall of the threaded sleeve 6. This ring constitutes a resilient fitting which ensures a stilf but gently uniform movement of the cosmetic holder. The ring may be formed of rubber, if desired.

Within the vicinity of the ring 9, the wall thickness of the threaded sleeve 6 may be somewhat reduced as at 16 in order to provide suflicient space for accommodating the ring 9. This reduction in the wall thickness of the threaded sleeve 6 provides a shoulder 17 and an excellent and permanently clamping seating for the ring 9 when an outer metallic tube 8 is employed, because then the radially acting forces transmitted from the ring 9 to the threaded sleeve 6, need not be fully taken up by the (possibly somewhat yielding) wall of this threaded sleeve; in fact they may be taken up for the most part by the metallic tube 8.

Moreover, in the manner indicated in FIG. 3, it is also possible to shorten the threaded sleeve 6 by the width of the elastic ring as shown by sleeve 6a, and to arrange that the ring, designated by 9a in FIG. 3, rests directly against the outer metallic tube 8.

The ring 9 may be shaped in various ways. For example, it may be rectangular in cross-section (as indicated) or it may be round or even have certain packing members. Further, it is not absolutely necessary for the ring 9 to be formed of a soft elastic plastic. On the contrary, hard plastic materials, as mentioned above, or metals are quite suitable as long as an adequate resilient action is ensured by giving the ring an appropriate crosssectional shape (as shown for example, for ring 9b in FIG. 4).

It is not absolutely essential that the ring 9 should be arranged at the bottom end of the slotted tube 2 close above the base 7. It may in fact be placed at the upper end of the slotted tube or, if it has cavities in the vicinity of the threaded tracks 5 and 5, it may even be located anywhere in the middle region of the slotted tube 2. However, with the embodiments of the lipstick case illustrated in the drawings, the arrangement of the ring at the bottom end of the slotted tube 2 ensures a particularly simple mounting.

Further, in certain cases it may also be expedient to use more than one elastic ring.

The invention as described above with particular reference to dispensing of lipsticks is obviously applicable to the dispensing of other cosmetics and indeed other articles.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lipstick casing having a twisting mechanism made of plastic material of the type including a cosmetic holder guided in a slotted tube connected with a base and having guide projections extending through the longitudinal slots in the slotted tube and engaged in the threaded track of a threaded sleeve rotatable with respect to the slotted tube, and said threaded sleeve being covered by an outer metal tube affixed thereto, the improvements comprising an elastic intermediate support seated outwardly of and engaging the slotted tube and disposed between said slotted tube and the inner surface of said outer metal tube, the said intermediate support extending only a fraction of the lengths of said slotted tube and threaded sleeve, said threaded sleeve resting on said intermediate support to provide frictional resistance to accidental relative rotational movements between the slotted tube and the threaded sleeve.

2. In a lipsick casing the improvements according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate support has the shape of a narrow ring and is placed around said slotted tube.

3. In a lipstick casing the improvements according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate support is formed of a soft elastic plastic material.

4. In a lipstick casing the improvements according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate support is formed of a hard elastic material.

5. In a lipstick casing the improvements according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate support is arranged at the bottom of said slotted tube adjacent said base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1944 Reichenbach 20656 6/1958 Hopgood 20656 

1. IN A LIPSTICK CASING HAVING A TWISTING MECHANISM MADE OF PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A COSMETIC HOLDER GUIDED IN A SLOTTED TUBE CONNECTED WITH A BASE AND HAVING GUIDE PROJECTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH THE LONGITUDINAL SLOTS IN THE SLOTTED TUBE AND ENGAGED IN THE THREADED TRACK OF THE THREADED SLEEVE ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE SLOTTED TUBE, AND SAID THREADED SLEEVE BEING COVERED BY AN OUTER METAL TUBE AFFIXED THERETO, THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING AN ELASTIC INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT SEATED OUTWARDLY OF AND ENGAGING THE SLOTTED TUBE AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SLOTTED TUBE AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER METAL TUBE, THE SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT EXTENDING ONLY A FRACTION OF THE LENGTHS OF SAID SLOTTED TUBE AND THREADED SLEEVE, SAID THREADED SLEEVE RESTING ON SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORT TO PROVIDE FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE TO ACCIDENTAL RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENTS BETWEEN THE SLOTTED TUBE AND THE THREADED SLEEVE. 